The MITOMUTCHAGAS project of Mr. Christophe CHEVILLARD, labeled by the A*Midex Foundation within the framework of the "International 2018" call, started its activities in July 2019. This project strengthens Aix-Marseille's cooperation with the University of Sao Paulo for the study of Chagas disease.
The project led by Dr. Christophe CHEVILLARD was selected on 18 March 2019 by the Steering Committee of the A*Midex Foundation within the framework of the A*Midex Foundation's "International 2018" call for projects. This call aims to structure and strengthen the international cooperation of Aix-Marseille University and A*Midex partners through the support of international research, development and innovation projects with high strategic potential.
The project "Additive effect of pathogenic mutations in mitochondrial proteins and inflammatory cytokines in mitochondrial dysfunction and innate immunity: relevance for Chagas disease cardiomyopathy" (MITOMUTCHAGAS) addresses the challenge of heart failure as a major global public health problem. In particular, it focuses on dilated cardiomyopathies associated with Chagas disease (CCC), a serious heart disease that affects millions of people worldwide, particularly in Latin America. It will explore mitochondrial function in patients with and without a genetic defect in the dihydroorotate dehydrogenase gene using 1) cell lines modified by CRISPR/CAS9 technology to make them carriers of the genetic defect under investigation, and 2) blood and heart cells from patients living in endemic areas.
The project will be implemented at the Theories and Approaches to Genomic Complexity Laboratory (TACG) of Aix-Marseille University and INSERM in partnership with the Clinical Immunology and Allergy Laboratory of the University of São Paulo (Brazil) headed by Professor Edécio Cunha-Neto.
MITOMUTCHAGAS started up on 1 July 2019 for a period of 24 months. Over this period, the project will be subsidised by the A*Midex Foundation to the tune of 190,000 euros, and will have a total funding of 220,000 euros with the partner's contribution.